Cats Can't Taste Sweetness, Study Finds

Chris, a 12-year-old, 400-pound lion at the Zoo New England, has been on a lifelong, radical Atkins diet -- super-high protein and absolutely no carbohydrates. It turns out Chris, like other cats, lacks the ability to taste the sweetness in carbs.
Courtesy Zoo New England
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Courtesy Zoo New England

Some scientists have long suspected that cats, which are strict carnivores, are "sweet blind." Now there's proof: Cats lack the receptor for sweetness. The discovery opens a window on what taste is for and how it evolved. It may also help cat food makers producer a product that even sick cats will eat.